“Because you’re obsessed with me.”
“Nah, doubtful.”
“Because my happiness is important to you.”
He pulled a face and raised his hand, tipping it from side to side, “eh. So, so.”
“Charming. You can admit it, you know? It won’t hurt you.”
“I’m beginning to rethink the whole thing, to be honest. It seems more hassle than it’s worth.”
“You’re not a morning person, are you?” I said with a small laugh.
“No. And neither are you, usually. I once woke you up early, and you told me if I ever dared step foot in your bedroom before eleven again, you’d stab me in the heart and let Monster feed my bollocks to the dogs.”
“I stand by that. But you didn’t issue a similar warning, so that’s on you. Now come on, up!”
“Fine,” he said, taking a last draw of his cigarette and stubbing it out in the ashtray. “Fuck it. If this is what we’re doing, then this is what we’re doing. Drop the towel, I’mwatching you get dressed, and I’m not hearing a single argument about it. If I’ve got to face your mother, I’m doing it with an image of your naked body fresh on my mind.”
It took far longer to get ready than I had planned. But just as I anticipated, Dante was incapable of looking and not touching, and his hands were on me within seconds of me dropping that towel.
Did I intentionally bend over to pick up an item of clothing? Possibly. I’m maintaining my innocence on that one.
So, after a pleasurable hour, we were finally leaving the door and going to collect my mother and Bee.
As we made our way to church, I took a deep breath, not knowing what mood my mother was going to be in. Especially since she had been locked up here all night.
The building was always referred to as “church,” but it was split into two, each with their own function. You had the meeting room, with the massive table in the middle, where the official church was held. The table held the club logo and was considered sacred. I’d seen fights break out over that fucking table. But then you had the side room, which included roll out beds, bunk beds, a small kitchen, a makeshift dining area, a sofa and gaming area for the children, and a bathroom attached to the side.
It was smaller than needed for the amount of people that took refuge here during lockdown, but it fulfilled its purpose of keeping the club safe. Everyone made it work, because they all wanted each other to remain in one spot. The children got priority over the beds, and the parents and other adults made do with whatever was remaining.
Monster was on the door when we arrived, along with Zach’s sons, Trent and Chris.
“Anything?” Dante said to them, not bothering with hellos.
“Nah, boss,” Monster said. “Quiet as a mouse.”
“Good. Your old man turn up?” He said, directing his question at Chris.
“For a while. He spoke with Imogen for a minute and then left.”
“How is she?” I asked. I liked Imogen. She was Trent’s old lady, and a complete ball buster. I always laughed whenever I was around her and watched her whip everyone into shape calling them all “lazy, pathetic old men.”
Sure, when she does it, it’s funny. When I do it, I’ve got an attitude problem.
“She’s in lockdown, surrounded by children, and getting to boss everyone around. How do you think she’s doing?” Trent smirked at me.
I smiled back at him. Imogen was so lovely – most of the old ladies here were. There was Jenna, Shark’s old lady, arguably the one I was closest to. Then there was Gemma, Ant’s old lady. Whilst Ant might scare the fucking shit out of me, Gemma was actually a sweetheart. Provided you didn’t get on the wrong side of her. She wasn’t around much, and Jenna had told me her parents didn’t approve of the club, so she was constantly running back and forth trying to keep everyone happy, like some fucked up biker version of Hades and Persephone. Then there were “the birds” who were the old ladies of Rooster and Chicken. Sasha was Sunshine’s old lady. She ran the hairdressing salon, but I had yet to ask her to touch mine. Jenna once told me she had a mean right hook on her, so I stayed well clear before I ended up in a fight with a pensioner. It was bad enough expecting one from big Mama, never mind some other decrepit woman. Sasha was already in a mood with me because I hadn’t used her salon when I dyed my hair red. Every time she came near me, she’d make a comment on how faded it was already, or how they had left split ends.
Yeah, my mouth would definitely lead to a fight and I’d be lumped with the reputation of being a granny basher – something Dante would take great delight in teasing me about, I’m sure.
We said our goodbyes to the men on guard, and went inside. “Hey, Dante?” I said before we entered the chaos.
“Mm?”
“Macbeth was a titled member, wasn’t he? I remember seeing it on the front of his patch.”
“Treasurer, yeah.”
